Railway dump car



-'Dec. 21, 1943.

c.i=. ASTROM RAILWAY DUMP CAR Filed 1m. ,5. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i hfiii:

INVENTOR CARL 7? Asmam BY ATTORNEY Dec. 21,1943. c, ASTROM 2,337,147

' RAILWAY DUMP CAR 4 Filed Dec. 5. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVENTdR CARL PASTROM ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 21, 1943 RAILWAY DUMP CAR Carl F. Astrom,East Orange, N. J., assignor to M. H. Treadwell Company, Inc., New York,N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 5, 1942, SerialNo. 467,932

3 Claims. (Cl. 105265) The invention relates to railway cars havingtilting containers, such as cinder cars and the like. More particularly,it is concerned with locking means for the transversely movableactuating cylinder of the tilting mechanism of such cars.

The type of tilting container car to which my invention is particularlyapplicable has its tilting mechanism actuated by steam or compressedair, having a pressure cylinder arranged for movement transversely ofthe car to control the tilting of the container (or containers). Inorder to avoid accidental operation of the tilting mechanism, or tiltingof the container through neglecting to use the conventional handoperated looking device, it is desirable to provide other means forlocking the container in its upright position. ihe locking of thetilting mechanism has been accomplished heretofore by inserting alocking pin in front of a lug on the pressure cylinder to preventmovement thereof in that direction which would produce tilting of thecontainer. A serious disadvantage of this arrangement is that locking ofthe mechanism depends upon the operator inserting the locking pin eachtime upon completion of the dumping operation and the re turn of thecontainer to its upright position. There is nothing to insure that thelocking opera tion Will be performed as intended, and thus a definitehazard is presented in the possibility of premature tilting of thecontainer. This becomes a matter of particularly serious concern whenthe cars are designed for the handling of molten slag, hot cinders orthe like, where accidental tilting of the containers would endanger lifeand property. Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide amore fool-proof locking device which will eliminate the disadvantages oflocking devices used heretofore.

Another object of my invention is to provide a locking mechanism of theclass described which is adapted to be used in conjunction with existingtypes of tilting mechanism Without substantial alteration thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

In my prior patent, No. 1,613,153, granted Jan nary 4, 1927, there isshown a railway dump car having a screw-operated dumping mechanism. lviypresent invention is applicable to cars of this general type, but with apressure cylinder form of dumping mechanism. Fig. 1 of the accompanyingdrawings is an end elevational view of such a car having a compressedair cylinder form of mechanism for actuating the tilting container, andillustrates the application thereto of a preferred embodiment of myimproved locking mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, of oneend of the car, taken as shown at 22 in Fig. 1, looking toward the endof the pressure cylinder of the actuating mechanism. Details of the carunderframe and container mounting are not shown, as they form no part ofthe present invention. For such general construction, reference may behad to my prior Patent No. 1,613,153, aforesaid, or to my applicationSerial No. 454,117, filed August 8, 1942.

Fig. 3 is a detail cross-sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 2 and 3 are drawn to the same scale, which is larger than thescale of Fig. 1.

With more particular reference to Fig. l, I shall first describe thegeneral construction and operation of the pressure-operated mechanismfor tilting the container (or containers) indicated in broken lines ata. The underframe of the car is indicated generally at I and may be ofany conventional construction. Mounted on the underframe are supports 2carrying a transversely extending track 3 for a trunnion 4 secured to abail 5 (Fig. 2) carrying the tilting container a. A similar track andtrunnion is provided at the other side of the bail (not shown) as in thearrangement shown in my prior Patent No. 1,613,153 aforesaid. Adjacentthe track 3 is a transversely arranged horizontal rack 6 arranged tomesh with a gear sector I affixed to the trunnion 4. The gear sector 7is provided with two eccentric cranks 8, one of which is arranged to bedriven by the pressure cylinder in a manner which will be describedsubsequently.

Also mounted on the underframe I, is a pair of supporting frames 9 whichextend upwardly at each side of the car to carry the pressure cylinderand associated structure. Transversely extending guide rods iii and Hfor the reciprocable pressure cylinder 52 tie the supporting frames 8together, the guide rod l0 passing through apertures in the bosses I3formed on the frames 9, and having reduced and threaded end portionsextending through the frames, where they are secured by nuts l4, and theguide rod ii having reduced and threaded end portions i5 extendingthrough apertures in the upper end of the supporting frames 9, wherethey are secured by the nuts !6. The reciprocable pressure cylinder isprovided with a pair of upwardly extending guide lugs ll surrounding theguide rod H, and a pair of depending guide lugs I3 surrounding the guiderod It, the lugs IT and. 18 being slidably mounted on these guide rodsso that the pressure cylinder I2 is movable transversely of the car fromone side to the other. A stationary hollow piston rod it passes throughthe center of the cylinder l2, being secured at its end in suitablebosses 20 formed on the frames 9. The hollow rod l9 carries a stationarypiston 2!.

Movement of the cylinder i2 is controlled by suitable fluid pressuremeans. In the construction illustrated, this is provided by thecompressed air (or steam) lines 22 connected to opposite ends of thehollow piston rod i9 and in communication therewith. The compressed airlines, or pipes, 22 extend downwardly and thence laterally, as at 23, tothe center of the car, where they enter a four-way valve of conventionalconstruction. The valve 24 is connected at 25 to a source of compressedair 26 through a shutoff valve 2'! having an operating, element itadapted for engagement by a removable handle or wrench. The operatinglever of the four-way valve 24 is shown at 29. When the handle 2b is inthe central position illustrated, the ports are open, so that air flowsthrough both of the lines filling the spaces on each side of the piston25 with air or steam as the case may be. To get the cylinder moving, thevalve ft] is operated to bleed the air or steam from one side of thepiston (from the left side as viewed in 3), whereupon the cylinderstarts to move in a direction to tilt the container at (to the right asviewed in Fig. 3). Initial tilting movement of the container away fromthe vertical causes it to become top heavy, and it begins to tiltrapidly, increasing the pressure on that side of the piston from which.fluid had been bled. This increase in pressure, through conventionalcontrol means, automatically closes a valve, and the remaining fluidcreates a cushion which will stop the tilting movement of the containerbefore it strikes the car frame. After the container has emptied, it isreturned to its normal vertical position by operating the handle 25 ofthe valve 25 to cause the compressed fluid to enter the cylinder spaceat one side of the piston 29 (the left side as viewed in Fig. 3), whilepermitting discharge of the fluid at the other side.

Suitable means preferably are provided to permit operation of the valve2 from one or both sides of the car, such as the handles 32 pivotallymounted in brackets 33 secured to the underframe and operativelyconnected to the valve handle by connecting rods 34, as by means of aclevis attached to the rod and pivotally secured to the handle 32 at Oneof the rods 3' 5 is piv otally secured to the lower end of the handle 29at El, the second rod lid is pivotally secured to the projecting end ofthe first rod at 38. It will be understood that one or the other of theoperating handles may be omitted if desired.

The cylinder 52 is provided with a pair of horizontally extending lugs39, iii (Fi 2) carrying a key or pair of keys ll slidably engaging asleeve 12 rotatably mounted on the crank S of the gear sector lpreviously described, providing a driving connection between thepressure cylinder 52 and the gear sector l so that the cylinder moves,the gear sector is rotated, driving th gear 1th it sector along the rack55 and carrying w trunnion i of the bail 5 in which the container it issupported. When the cylinder 32 moves to the right from the positionshown in Fig. 3, the container 8 thus is moved to the right and at thesame time tilted about the axis of the trunnion l.

In my preferred arrangement, the keys ll are removable from the lugs 39,it, lifting out through an aperture 43 in the lugs 39 for which purposean upward extension 44 is provided on the pins. After the keys have beenremoved, the cylinder l2 may be moved to the right while the container aremains in its upright position shown, and the keys 4 3 reinserted inother apertures formed in lugs 33, -53 at the opposite end of thecylinder so that arrangement can be made for tilting the container a tothe other side of the car, i. e., to the left as viewed in Fig. 3. Thisarrangement is the same as that illustrated except that the startingposition of the cylinder i2 is reversed so that the cylinder is at theright when the container is in the vertical position illustrated.

The operating mechanism which has been described may be provided with asuitable cover or shield 5 for deflecting falling material into thecontainer a during loading of the car, this shield being convenientlymounted on the supporting frames 9 as by means of angle irons ll), M, 8.The shield (lb or the supporting structure thereof, such as the angleirons 63, form a convenient mounting for the operating mechanism of myimproved locking means, the shaft 49 of which is arranged above thepressure cylinder 52, being journaled in bearings in the angle irons illat the sides of the car, and in a bracket fill which may conveniently besecured to the shield 45 near the center. Near the center of the shaftis fixed an arm 5! which is pivotally secured at its outer end to oneend of a locking member 52, the locking member being pivoted at itsother end, as

at 53, to a clamp 55 secured to the guide rod H. The inner end of thelocking member 52 is arranged to rest normally on the top the guide rodii in front of the lug El associated with the reciprocable cylinder 52,but is arranged to be raised above the lug ll by means of the arm [Iiupon rotation of the shaft Q9. The connection between the arm 5! and theinner end of the looking member 52 may comprise a pair of upstandinglugs 55 fixed to the locking member, and a pin or bolt 55 passingthrough th se lugs and the end of the arm 55. The aperture for the bolt58 in either the arm 55 or the lugs 55 preferably is elongated to permitvertical movement of the end of the locking member in a plane normal tothe axis of the pivotal mounting The clamp 54 may be formed in twocomplementary parts 54 and 54', as shown best in Fig. 2, the part beingprovided with a pair of lugs all to receive the pivot pin or bolt 53which passes through an aperture in the locking member 52.

In my preferred construction, the shaft is of the lock operating meansis arranged to be actuated from either end thereof so as to permitoperation from either Side of the car. For this purpose a crank arm 58is fixed to each end of the shaft 39, and to the outer end of each armso is secured a pull chain to terminating in a suitable handle til. Thehandle til preferably also is secured by a short length of chain 55! toa portion of the framework to prevent it from swinging out of place orbecoming tangled in the mechanism. It will of course be understood that,if desired, one of the pull chains 58 and its associated crank 53 may beomitted.

It is believed that the operation of the invention will be understoodfrom the preceding description of the various portions thereof, but itsoperation will now be summarized briefly:

The drawings show container a locked in its upright position as duringtransportation of the car with the container loaded. If any conditionariseswhich tends to permit movement of the cylinder 52 to the right asviewed in Fig. 3 before it is desired to tilt the container (1 fordumping of its contents, such movement is prevented by engagement of thelug I? with the end of the locking member 52. When it is desired to tiltthe container (the power means being connected to a source of compressedair), the valve 2'! is opened and. the operator, standing at one side ofthecar, pulls down on the handle 60 to lift the locking member 52, thenby means of the handle 32 operates the valve 24 to produce movement ofthe pressure cylinder I2 to the right as viewed in Fig, 3. So soon asthe lug I! of the pressure cylinder passes under the end of the lockingmember 52, he may release the handle 69. At the conclusion of thedumping operation the operator again actuates the valve 24 by means ofthe handle 32, this time to produce movement of the cylinder I2 to theleft to return it to the position shown in the drawings. As the cylinderl2 moves to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, the lug l1 lifts the member 52and when the cylinder reaches the limit of its movement, this lockingmember drops into the position shown in Fig. 3 without further attentionfrom the operator. Thus there is no possibility of the operatorneglecting to lock the mechanism when the container reaches its uprightposition.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used in adescriptive and not a limiting sense, and I have no intention ofexcluding such equivalents of the invention described, or of portionsthereof, as fall within the purview of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car having a tilting container and power means includinga cylinder reciprocable transversely of the car for actuating thetilting container, means for locking the container in upright position,said means comprising a member pivotaliy supported to drop in front of aportion of the cylinder when the cylinder reaches a position in whichthe container is upright, a shaft above the cylinder and extendingtransversely of the an arm fixed to said shaft, said having a pivotalengagement with said pivotally supported member, and a crank for turningsaid shaft to release said locking means.

2. A locking device for the transversely mov able actuating cylinder ofthe tilting container mechanism of a railway dump car, comprising alocking member pivotally supported to drop in front of a portion of thecylinder when the cylinder reaches a position in which the container isupright, a shaft above the cylinder arranged in substantial parallelismtherewith, an arm fixed to said shaft, said arm having a pivotalengagement with the locking member, and a crank for turning said shaftto lift the locking member.

3. A locking device of the construction set forth in claim 2, in whichthe locking member is arranged to be lifted by a lug on the cylinder asthe cylinder moves in a direction to bring the container upright and toremain in front of said lug thereafter until manually lifted.

CARL P. ASTROM.

